With the news of his suspension today I should probably talk about that, but it’s too depressing. We’ve already lost one team to heartbreak in the playoffs this month so I can’t really use any more depressing news. Instead, check out this compilation video of Rondo. Not going to lie, I don’t think I’ve ever paid attention to him during the tip but after watching this you bet all eyes will be on him now.
According to many sources, Kansas Jayhawks’ forward Thomas Robinson will announce his intent to play in the NBA later today. This is no surprise to anyone, and he is #4 on the big board for ESPN. Robinson has decided to not return to Kansas for his senior season. As a Junior, Robinson averaged 17.9 PPG and 11.8 RPG, before losing to Kentucky in the Finals a w
eek ago. Robinson didn’t even start his Freshman or Sophomore years, averaging at most 14 mins per game. Last year, however, he averaged over 31. He is a great defender and a force on the boards. Good luck Thomas!
If you look at the box score of last night’s NCAA Championship Game, you may see a kid that shot 1-10 and scored a total of 6 points has won the Most Outstanding Player award. However, if you watched the game, you would have seen a Bill Russell-like defensive minded player completely changing the pace of the game. Anth
ony Davis was not concerned about the offensive side of the game, he even told his teammates that he would just focus on defense and rebounding. He had 6 blocks and 16 rebounds. Doron Lamb was the games high scorer with 22 points.
The game looked to be over almost right away, until the last 5 minutes when Kansas put together a small come back. However, they could not make up enough ground and they lost 67-59. Thomas Robinson had a great game with 18 points and 16 rebounds. Tyshawn Taylor added 19 points of his own for the Jayhawks. The best team actually won this year, which you cannot always say at the end of the Madness.
Not a bad Monday for us those of us here in Boston reflecting back on this weekend in the sports world. The Celtics stretched their win streak to 5 games, topping off the weekend with an absolute clobbering D. Wade and the Heat. With a month left of games, the C’s sit at the 4 spot in a crowded Eastern Conference playoff race and one game up on the 76ers for the lead in the division. A 14 game April will make or break the C’s and set the stage for what could be the last playoff run of the Big Three era. On the ice, the B’s took care of business in New York, taking one a piece from the Islanders and the Rangers while clinching the Northeast Division with three games left on the schedule. The Bruins wrap up the regular season Saturday at home vs. Buffalo before gearing up for playoff hockey once again in Boston. As if a weekend of winning wasn’t enough, today brings us one day closer to baseball season. The Red Sox open up regular season play this Thursday in Detroit, starting off a 6 day, 6 game road trip before baseball comes back to Boston on Friday the 13th against the dreaded Rays. It’s a good week to be from Boston. Happy Monday!
Although it has already been around the rumor mill since last weekend, it has now become official: Austin Rivers is heading to the NBA. Rivers was a unanimous choice for ACC Rookie of the Year. Usually, I would disregard anything about Du
ke, but since it is the son of Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers, it is hard not to say something about.
Most people, including myself, thought that Rivers would last at least a few years at Duke, who are known for graduating most of their players, but not in this case. He will become the 4th Duke player to leave after only one year. Kyrie Irving did it last year. I also thought that Doc would push his son in the right direction. However, he had this to say:
“At the end of the day, all you can do with all of your kids, or any kid in this situation, is give them as much input as you can, then you try to let them make the decision. They have to make it; you can’t make it for them.”
Don’t get your hopes up, though, Celtics fans. Chances are, he won’t make it till our pick.
We all know that there has been a ton of speculation regarding freshman sensation Anthony Davis of Kentucky. He is an amazing player. However, there are 4 other players on the All-American team that deserve a closer look too. For example, Thomas Robinson of Kansas was the first unanimous choice since Blake Griffin in 2009. Davis was not unanimous somehow. Here is a look at the 5 All-Americans:
PATRIOTS Q&A
So I’ve been doing a lot of reading on the internet about the Patriots recently and there have been a lot of fan questions about the Patriots and primarily their most recent offseason moves so I figured it was worth my time to put together an article answering some of the most frequent questions.
What are the Patriots plans at the Wide Receiver position after their most recent signings?
The Patriots have made several Wide Receiver moves so far this offseason; with the most notable move being the signing of Brandon Lloyd. The Patriots have an abundance of bodies at the receiver position and clearly they all won’t be able to be on the roster come opening day. What their exact plan is no one can tell. Chad Ochocinco restructured his contract recently to take a pay cut, which in my eyes would be viewed as a sign that he might be back for round two. Anthony Gonzalez is frequently injured but when healthy has potential to be a solid option. The re-signing of Deion Branch was a surprise to me, especially after the signing of Lloyd. I’m not convinced Stallworth will make the team but even that is still a possibility. The bottom line is someone has to get cut/traded. It hurts to even think about it; but with the depth the Patriots have at the position now it could be an option that Welker is traded or released. In no way am I saying Anthony Gonzalez is Welker talent, but if he can get the job done at the same position as Welker I don’t see a purpose in paying Wes over $9mil this season. I believe a lot of the restructured contracts could be leading to a record breaking deal for Gronk. Even without Welker Brady will have plenty of options to go to so if you can use the money elsewhere (AKA defense) I would certainly do it.
Who will carry the load for the Patriots at Running Back?
With Green-Ellis signing with the Bengals the Patriots are left without any experience at the Running Back position. Ridley showed flashes of talent but is fumble prone and that certainly won’t fare well with Bellichick if it continues. Shane Vereen may be a viable option if healthy also. Woodhead is certainly not an every down back in the NFL either. Don’t hold your breath that the Pats will sign that every down back everyone has hoped for since the retirement of Corey Dillon. The Patriots will more than likely use a running back by committee type of game plan which isn’t anything new to them. I’m assuming the Patriots will bring in the Sammy Morris or Lamont Jordan type of veteran to take a few carries and add depth to the position, but don’t expect much. The Pats don’t rely on the run game like some teams so I don’t see this being a major concern.
What will the Patriots do with their four picks in the first two rounds?
My bet is the Patriots will more than likely trade one or two of the picks like they always do. Something like one of their first rounder’s this year for a third this year and a first next year. Let’s say the Pats change their style up a bit and use all their picks.
Pick No. 27 : The Patriots will more than likely address the defensive side of the ball early and often in the draft so here are a few of their options with this pick.
Stephon Gilmore, CB South Carolina
Gilmore has good size for a corner standing at 6’1” and has experience at the college level. He lacks elite speed but with the right coaching he could get by with what he has and be a solid NFL cornerback.
Nick Perry, DE/OLD USC
Perry is a solid pass rusher and would be a great fit for the Patriots 3-4 defense.
Pick No. 31: The Patriots will probably stick with defense with this pick. I’m thinking they go with a linebacker and then some secondary help with their first two picks.
Mark Barron, S Alabama
Barron has serious talent and was one of the best safeties in the country as a sophomore two years ago. Barron is a three year starter and could be a steal at this pick. He is a hard hitter and has good size for a safety. If Barron is still here I don’t see any way the Pats take anyone else.
Pick No. 48: The Pats will probably also go defense with this pick. They have many holes on that side of the ball.
Vinny Curry, DE/OLB Marshall
Curry has a great combination of speed and size which makes him a very versatile player and that is something Bellichick loves. Curry put up phenomenal numbers in college but those stats can also be skewed seeing as he played in a weak conference.
Harrison Smith, SS Notre Dame
If the Pats don’t take a safety in the first round expect them to take one here. Smith is a smart player who doesn’t get beat deep often.
Pick No. 63
Options:
Brandon Boykin, CB Georgia
Trumaine Johnson, CB/S Montana
Chase Minnifield, CB Virginia
That’s all for today folks. If you have any Patriots questions for us leave them
The Bruins took care of business against the Ducks last night and Marty Turco earned his first W as a Boston Bruin with some fine play in net. Last night’s game wraps up the Bruins three-game West coast road trip (2-1-0) with the B’s coming back to Boston for a Tuesday night game with the pesky Lightening. With only a handful of games remaining in the regular season, it looks like the Bruins will nab the number two or three seed in the Eastern Conference.
Last night, Big Z, Pouliot, and Brian Rolston all tallied goals. Rolston’s goal was particularly nice because it resulted from a nice breakout pass, some fancy footwork and nice feed from Chris Kelly. From there Rolston delivered a snipe pass Jonas Hiller that rang the post and then in. The Kelly-Pouliot-Rolston line has been effective since Claude has put them together and I would expect to see that line continue to stay in-tact even with Rich Peverley’s return to the ice for two reasons. First, the KPR has been good over the last couple games, finally getting Rolston involved, and secondly having Peverley and Marchand as Bergeron’s two wingers makes for a dynamic line with a lot of speed to burn.
If you somehow missed any of the games this weekend, you missed quite a bit. The box scores do not do these games justice. Especially in the Kentucky game. Baylor went up 10-5 right out of the gate, but that was short lived as the Wildcats came back and exploded for 16 straight points. The final score was 82-70, but it was much more lopsided than that. Kentucky is going to be a tough team to beat. Anthony Davis is going to be the #1 pick, and for good reason. He played amazing once again with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 blocks. He even played when the game was a lock at the game, risking injury. This team looks amazing day in and day out. They will take on Louisville who they already beat by 7 points on New Year’s Eve. I think this should be an easy win for Kentucky but you never know with Rick Patino on the other side of the court, he just needs to come up with a game plan to shut down 4 of the best players in the league. Easier said than done.
Kansas is tough as well, with most likely a #2 pick Thomas Robinson scoring 18 points and Tyshawn Taylor dropping 22 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals. They were able to take down the Tarheels with a strong finish to the 2nd half. They will take on Ohio State who is led by Jared Sullinger, coming off a big game against Syracuse. He has 19 points while grabbing 7 boards. I picked Ohio State to win last year but I think that Kansas will take this one.
This week in sports history…
1822 – The city of Boston, MA was incorporated.
1983 – Northampton, MA – The first women’s collegiate basketball game was played at Smith College.
1904 – A patent was issued for a “baseball catcher”.
1934 – The first Masters Golf Championship began in Augusta, GA.
1953 – The Boston Celtics beat Syracuse Nationals (111-105) in four overtimes to eliminate them from the Eastern Division Semifinals.
Boston Sports Blog 